Vacuum cleaners



Dec. 29, 1970 s, KNELA 3,550,182

VACUUM CLEANERS Filed Oct. 30, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M [N ENTOR.

S. E. KIVELA VACUUM CLEANERS Dec. 29, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed 001;. 30, 1967 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,550,182 VACUUM CLEANERS Stanley E. Kivela, Rte. 1, Box 94, Marengo, Wis. 54855 Filed Oct. 30, 1967, Ser. No. 684,094 Int. Cl. A471 9/00, 9/10 U.S. Cl. 15-323 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved apparatus for filtering the discharge air from a vacuum cleaner and with this, reducing the velocity of the discharging air to where it will not disturb adjacent residual dust or objects. The airstream from the power unit goes into a plenum chamber within the case of the vacuum clearner. Large area final filters are in operating communication with this plenum. The airstream is then exhausted into the atmosphere through these large area filters at a relatively low velocity.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner that more thoroughly removes dust particles from the air that is circulated through the cleaner, and to prevent recirculating and stirring up of the extremely fine dust that passes through most cleaner filters.

There are, throughout the country, a large number of people that have a sensitivity to house dust. Usual instructions for these people is to avoid using a vacuum cleaner, or if using one, to wear a dust mask or filter while using the vacuum cleaner.

For people with dust allergy, the extremely fine dust particles that can pass through ordinary vacuum cleaner filters, is the dust that causes people the allergy troubles.

In addition, this type of design allows the use of a saddle type of accessory carrier that makes it possible for the user to portage the cleaner and equipment from room to room with a maximum of convenience, comfort, and safety.

Following is a detailed description of the parts referred to by the reference numerals. Like numerals in the different views refer to identical or like parts.

FIG. 1 is an elevation view, with a partial section cut away showing the intake, filter bag, a regular stator-impellor and motor (not in section view for clarity) and the secondary or final filters.

FIG. 2 is a front end elevation view showing the intake, wheels, cabinet for the secondary or final filters, handle, switch, and catches for keeping the doors closed and the intake housing onto the housing of cleaner.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the saddle bag type of accessory carrier or tool caddy that fits over and on top of the vacuum cleaner when it is desired to carry the equipment to another location.

FIG. 4 is a perspective of the entire cleaner with one Y side open, showing most operating parts.

FIG. 5 is a perspective showing the secondary or final filter as removed from the vacuum cleaner.

There follows a detailed description of the parts and functions as shown in the different views.

Referring to FIG. 1, the numeral 1 refers to the complete vacuum cleaner, that is comprised of a suit case type of housing of suitable material.

The reference numeral 2 refers to a regular vacuum cleaner hose that inserts into and secures to closure cap 3. This cap fits over and with gasket 32 seals and secures a standard filter bag 4 in tubular part 5 which forms air passage 48.

The reference numeral 6 refers to a stator, impellor, and electric motor assembly of standard design. This is a snug insert fit into tubular part 5. This is powered by motor 19 that is operated by switch 30 and connected to a regular electric cord 31. This assembly, comprising the first, or primary cleaning and filtering function is composed of: Hose 2, closure cap 3, filter bag 4, gasket 32, vacuum motor and blower '6 and 19, and enclosing tube 5. Closure cap 3 is locked to case by closures 15.

The air that is pulled through, is discharged into dust tight space 8. In regular cleaners, this air is discharged at high velocity through a small opening such as 18. In this cleaner, except when used as a blower, this exhaust is capped by ca 33. When used as a blower, suitable thin air tight inserts, the same shape as the filters can be used to seal off the secondary or final filters.

A large area of efiicient filtering media, such as polyurethane foam is provided in two filters 17.

Vacuum cleaner case 1 has two side opening doors 11, that open outward on hinges 12. These two doors are one on each side of case 1. When closed and sealed, these doors are retained by catches 20. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, these doors 11, are louvered at 10, to provide an outlet for the discharge air after the air goes through the secondary or final filters 17. Thus it can be seen that after the air is discharged into space 8, it has a large filtering area to go through. With this large area, even if of relatively dense and effective filtering media, it offers little total resistance, retaining effective suction and cleaning action.

With the large secondary or final filtering area, the velocity of the air is slower, thus adding to the effectiveness of the secondary or final filters. It is intended that these filters be of a semi-permanent type, washable, cleanable, and replaceable when needed at low cost.

Since these secondary or final filters are for the purpose of filtering out what small particles pass through the first filter 4, they will not need cleaning until visual inspection shows a significant change in color, and this can easily be done without exposure to dust or soiling hands.

Thus in use, filters 17 are placed in cleaner assembly 1, the doors 11 are secured by catches 20. Cap 33 is secured into outlet 18 and the intake hose 2 is attached to cap 3 with a filter bag 4 inside 5. Appropriate tools are attached to hose 2 and switch 30 is turned on and cleaner is used in the regular way.

If desired, closure cap 3 and filter bag 4 can be removed. Then, free standing in a room, the clean can be switched on, thus circulating the room air through the secondary or final filters and removing most of the floating dust in the room.

The cleaner can be rolled about on tricycle gear comprised of two larger wheels 7, and a rear wheel 13 capable of castering on pivot assembly 14. These larger wheels allow these wheels to pass over the extension cord more easily than the regular small castor wheels.

As a further convenience in using this invention is the tool caddy shown in FIG. 3. This is comprised of a saddle bag type of carrier with sides 24 and 25. It has compartments 26 in which various tools can be carried. It fits over handle 21 and an opening 27 is provided so that the cleaner 1 and tool caddy 23 can be carried on the cleaner by cleaner handle 21.

When removed from the cleaner, handles 28 and 29 are used to carry caddy 23. It can also be draped over the back of a chair to provide access at a convenient height when switching tools on the end of hose 2.

Thus it is shown that many features can be designed into, and provided for in an invention of this basic design. Many variations can be resorted to without departing from the main features of this invention. In addition, a design of this type allows many additional features to be built into it, that is not possible with regular design vacuum cleaners.

The foregoing is only illustrative of the principle embodied in this invention. Those skilled in the art will be able to modify and change the basic design and it is not intended to limit the invention to the exact forms as illustrated and described.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A vacuum cleaner that has a detachable hose for the usual cleaning tools, filtering and dust retaining means, a power unit producing a vacuum, controls, and a structure retaining said parts wherein the improvement comprises:

(a) a structure that comprise an essentially six sided housing with two opposing, essentially vertical sides, when said structur is placed on a horizontal surface, said vertical sides are of substantially larger surface area than any of the other sides with a carrying handle means operably secured to the top side of said structure,

(b) operably disposed along and in the space comprising the lower portion of the housing, a first filtering means consisting of an essentially cylindrical air tight passage with one open end essentially in proximity to the exterior of one narrower side of said housing and the opposite open end in operating communication with the enclosed air space in the remaining portion of said structure, a closure means with a vacuum inlet to which can be detachably secured a vacuum hose and the usual cleaning attachments, said closure means secured and sealed to said passage, and sealed within said passage, an air permeable dust and dirt receptacle and with a vacuum producing power unit with control means operably connected thereto, said power unit mounted in and sealing the remaining opposite end of said passag and said power unit capable of producing a vacuum within said passage and discharging exhaust air into the said enclosed air space in said structure,

(c) the said enclosed air space in said structure thus comprising a plenum chamber for the exhaust from said vacuum producing unit,

((1) openings for at least one final filter in at least one of said larger sides of said structure in communication with said plenum chamber, said openings comprising a substantial portion of the surface areas of said at least one side,

(e) large area final filter means removably and operably disposed and secured to said at least one side and positioned over said openings in said plenum chamber and providing final filtering, said openings allowing exhaust air to be exhausted at such low velocity as to obviate the need for any further baffling or deflection in order to prevent the exhaust air from disturbing any adjacent residual dust or objects and said final, large area filters thus providing a more effective total filtering of said exhaust air because more effective filter media can be used and any resistance to air flow is offset by the large area of said filters.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said housing is supported by two fixed, large diameter wheels and a swivable third wheel.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the large area, final filter means are mounted on door means that are 4 hingeably secured along their bottom edge to the said housing, with latch means operably secured to and along the area of the top corners of said housing, said latch means retaining said doors in a closed position and causes said final filters to be sealed in operating communication with said plenum and with openings in said door means to allow passage through said openings of the exhaust air emitting from said plenum.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein the openings for said final filter is a substantial portion of only one side of said larger area sides and only one final filter used.

5. In combination with the invention of claim 1 wherein the large area final filters are of polyurethane foam, at least one-half inch in thickness.

6. In combination with the invention of claim 1 wherein said housing is provided with a removable saddle bag type of accessory and tool carrier adapted to fit over the top of the vacuum cleaner or it can be placed on the back of a chair, at a convenient accessible height.

7. A vacuum cleaner consisting of an essentially six sided housing with two opposing, essentially vertical sides when the cleaner is in normal upright operating position with said essentially vertical sides being of substantially larger surface area than any of the other sides of said housing, a carrying handle means secured to the top of said housing, said housing provided with an air tight passage enclosing a space along and within a portion of the lower portion of said housing with one end of said passage in operating communication with the exterior of one narrower side of said housing and the opposite end of said passage in operable communication with the remainder of the space within said housing, a closure means that has a vacuum hose inlet, operably closing and sealing the exterior open end of said passage and operably sealed to said inlet and, operably disposed within said passage, an air permeable dust and dirt receptacle comprising a first filtering means, and in proximity to the said opposite end of said passage, a vacuum producing power unit sealing said opposite end of said passage and said vacuum power unit capable of producing a vacuum within said passage and discharging the exhaust air into the remainder of the space within said housing with said vacuum producing unit having operably secured to it, power supply and control means, with said remaining air space within said housing thus comprising a plenum chamber, a final filtering means consisting of filter openings in at least one of said two larger surface area sides, said openings com.- prising a substantial portion of the area of the said at least one side and large area final filters means removably and operably disposed in over said openings, closure means securing said filters in registry with said openings, and with said filters being in operating communication with said plenum chamber thus affording a more thorough final filtering of the exhaust air from said plenum chamber and in addition said exhaust air thus being exhausted at such low velocity that it will not disturb adjacent dust or dirt and therefore not require any further deflection, bafiling, or directing of exhaust air in order to prevent such disturbance.

8. In combination with the invention of claim 7 a re movable saddle bag type of accessory and tool carrier adapted to fit over the top of the vacuum cleaner, or on the back of a chair at a convenient accessible height.

9. The invention of claim 7 wherein said filter means consist of doors, hingeably secured to the exterior of said housing on the larger area sides, at the bottom edge of said openings, with filter means operably secured to said doors, latch means securing said doors closed, sealing said filters in registry with said openings and in operating communication with said plenum chamber and with air passage openings in said door means allowing exhaust air to pass through said openings.

10. In combination with the invention of claim 7 wherein said final filters are of polyurethane foam of at least one half inch in thickness.

11. The invention of claim 7 wherein only one of the 3,170,184 said larger surface side is utilized for a single final filter. 3,344,588 3,381,329 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 752,088

8/1962 Ohlson 55-484X 3/1965 Kowalewski 55-473X 2/1925 Riordan 15-257.1AUX 3/1932 Bilde 15257.1AUX 5/1956 Allen 15257X 10 1-5327 6 2/1965 Jebson et al 15327X 10/1967 Szabo 15327X 5/1968 Wied 15323X FOREIGN PATENTS 2/1967 Canada 15-327 ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

